Production of axle housings



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Patented Oct. 30, 1928. i

UNITEDl STATI-:s-

PATENT oFFlcE. y

HERBERT H. WILLIAMS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10- THOMAS E. MURRAY,

OF ROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PRODUCTION' 0F AXLE HOUSING-S.

Application led January 23. 1926. Serial No. 83,331.

My invention aims to provide a certain-improved axle housing and method of producing the same whereby a. substantial saving is obtained in material,- net weight and number and cost. of operations. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention. v' v j 'v Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation and partial 'vertical section of a housing; j A

Fig. 2 is a partial plan and partial horizontal section of the same;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 ot Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a planf'of one of the blanks from which the housing is Jformed;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the next operation on the blank;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a yvertical section oan end of the housing at an intermediate stage in its production;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section, and Fig. 9 a vertical transverse section of an alternative methodof forming a saddle.

Housings for rear axles of automobiles are of various designs. Most, if not all of them have tubular ends, an enlarged annular center with inward flanges surrounding openings for the introduction of the gearing, saddles or similar devices for engagement by springs and other part-s of the car and flanges at the ends for stifiening the latter and connecting them to adjacent parts of the wheel and axle bearings. The present invention is illustrated in connection with one design of such a housing, but it will be understood that it is applicable to housings of various other designs and proportions. The housing comprises tubular end portions 1 and an enlarged central portion 2 and is made of two segments united along the horizontal plane indicated by the line 3, Fig. l, by butt welding.

Fig. 4 illustrates a flat blank from which one of the segments is formed by bending up the edges to the appropriate cross-section at different points. A plan of the segment bent up from this blank would appear as indicated at the left of Fig. 2. Before bending to segmental form, however, the blank is given a preliminary bending operation indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The middle portion 4t of the blank is bent-downward. Each of the end portions may be of extra width where a saddle or other fixture is to be provided projection.

and a central portion 5 is drawn or stamped so as to project outward. Also the ends of the blank, shaped originallyas in Fig. 4, are bent first outward as at 6 and then inward as at 7 to form a sort of il-shaped outward rlhe blank of Fig. 6 is then drawn to the segmental shape and two such blanks are placed edge to edge and united, preferably by welding, though other means of uniting them may be used.

When the segments are first welded the ends are shaped as in Fig. 7. They are thereafter swaged so as to press the parts 7 and 6 together and to a position transverse to the axis of the tubular part 1, as indicated at 8 and 9 in Fig. 1. An advantage ofthis method is that the pressure is continued to bring the flanges toa determined distance from the transverse axis of the housing so as to exactly gauge the length of the latter and to make each half of the same len h, and this simultaneously with the forming of the flanges. They thus form a rib of double thickness reinforcing the ends and providing a stid part for connection to the wheel bearings and adjacent arts. v p When the segments are welded the portions 5 constitute projections 10 beyond the line of the tube, stiflening the latter at these points. Each of the projecting portions 10 may be provided with a circular inward depression 11. A filler 12 is welded into the de ression 11 and serves as art of the seat. T e filler has a hole 13 in t e center to provide a clearance for the head of the bolt which holds to gether the leaves of the spring on which the housing bears. The hole thus serves to center the spring on the axle housing and the thrust Y of driving is partly transmitted through the bolt.

According to Figs. 8 and 9, the segments are placed as before, but on the underside of the fiat portion 10 a spring seat is welded in the form of a broad plate 14 which may be made of a certain standard rolled steel section cut to the required width so as tov extend sli 'htly beyond the sides of the housing.

uch a spring seat or saddle may be shaped on its top surface to conform with housings which are of various contoursat the point of attachment; whether of the enlarged stiffened shapes illustrated in Figs. 3 and 9 or of the ordinary circular shape or of other usual or suitable shapes. In anycase the cross-section titl of the saddle will be such that it can be economically produced from shapes rolled in the ordinary Way.

Various modifications in the details may be made and in the arrangement of the parts by those skilled in the art Without, departing from the invention as defined in the folloiving claims.

What I claim is 1. The method of making axle housings which consists in forming segments of, sheet. metal With their ends bent obliquely first outward and then inward, uniting said segments and further bending the outward and inward portions referred to to form flanges of double thickness on the ends of the housing.

2. The method of forming axle housings which consists in bending up sheet metal to form segments having their end portions bent outward and inward in longitudinal section, and uniting said segments together' along longitudinal edges and pressing said bent portions endwise to a determineddistance from the transverse center of the housing to gauge the length and to form said bent portions into 30 vblanks up into segments with said certain and of extra width at the ends, bending them to form` segments with said ends partially bent outward, uniting said segments and further bending said ends to form the desired flanges.

A6. The method of making axle housings which consists in forming flat blanks of sheet metal` bending them in longitudinal section to form partially bent flanges on their ends while maintaining such ends flat in transverse section, bending them in transverse section to form segments, uniting said segments and further bending said flanges to desired position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

HERBERT H. WILLIAMS. 

